Portable beet thinner



June 12, 1945.

J. P. JENSEN 2,378,143

PORTABLE BEET THINNER Filed June ll, 1943 4 Sheezs-A-Sheet l n.' 5 famles R l N By @uw Attorneys Inventor June 12, 1945. J, p JENSEN 2,378,143

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PORTABLE BEE'J THINNER Filed June l1, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inveutm Jef/vaas 7'? .-J'ewsew a Attorney Patented June 12, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE; BEETTHINNER James P. Jensen, Bear River City, Utah Application June 1 1, 1943, serial No. 490,524

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a portable apparatus for thinning growing beets or other crops and the main object of the invention is to furnish an apparatus of this classior carrying a number vof workmen, 4, 8 or up to 12, for weeding out some of the `plants and to give necessary support of the workmens bodies while slowlyy proceeding along the iield to do their work.

This device is intended for mounting on a tractor, truck or other vehicle or as a trailer on its own wheels as a permanent implement to be drawn by automobile or horses. A swing for each workman is provided so that he may work in convenient position or leaning on a sling to go under his arms to support a portion of his weight while working in a kneeling position.

In `some cases it may be preferable to provide a main frame attached to a tractor, truck or other vehicle with a swing for each workman to carry him low enough to reach the beets over each row at convenient elevation over the plants. This frame may be demountable.

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings where- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus mounted on a motor truck and provided with a number of supports in the form of swings for,

carrying the workmen while at work.

Figure 2 is atop plan view of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the same, and

Figure i shows a vertical section of a swing construction, f

Figure 5 shows in perspective view the position of a man in the action of thinning the beets while leaning on the swing iioor and supported by the sling,

In the iigures like numerals designate the same parts in the dierent views.

Reference character I0 denotes a motor driven truck with steering wheelII and seat I2 for the operator.

Upon thesame is erected a strongly braced `super-structure or frame I3, which may constitute a unit to be removed from the truck and used alone or mounted on another vehicle.

This frame extends high enough above the floor of the vehicle in order to suspend the swings I4 or supports to conveniently carry the workmen. These swings are suspended from the longitudinally'running beams or runners I5, I6 and I1, preferably mounted parallel to the central, vertical plane of the vehicle. As shown the two outermost ones I'I are indicated as being shorter but all of them may have the same length and each carrying a sidewaysv swinging support or swing I4, the beams I1 shown with a swing about midways between the vehiclewheels, so as to clear them when swinging in or out inV staggered position.

The inner beam I5 is of .the 'saine length or shorter than its neighbor II. -By means of this construction it is possible to Asuspend the front swings I4 in staggered position so thatr they may be able toswing transversely of the vehicle without interfering with each other. y

As shown in the figures and more particularly in Figure 4, the swing is constructed with a oor I9.held in position by suitable braces and bolts 20 or the like between a pair of uprights 2 I, which at the top vare cross connected vby a cross rod or brace 2 2. chains 23 from the runnersy I5, I6 or I l, for detachment or removal. From the cross rod 22 is hung another swinging device consisting of a sling 24 and wires 25. `This sling is intended to be placed over the workmans chest and under his order to improve and strengthen the crop, this apparatus, mounted on a vehicle such as a trac-v tor is passed slowlyover the field along the growing rows ofbeets, with a workman or picker placed in each of the swings. drawings, four swings are provided for as many pickers or weeders, but the apparatus may be enlarged for a crew of 8 or 12 workers. In Figures 1, 2 and 3 only one type of swings I4 hask been shown, namely, the kind illustrated in detail in Figure 4. In the swing I4 the worker has ,to kneel on the oor board with the head and upper part of the body stuck out between the wires 25 of the sling and with his chest resting upon the sling straps 24. In this `manner he will be able to rock the swing back and forth, that is, laterally as regards the vehicle while weeding or thinning out the rows of beets. The driver at Athe same time running the vehicle forward.

The same procedure is, of course, followed in gathering cotton or picking berries from bushes.

The swing is suspended by hooked According to the Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that I do not wish to limit the same thereto except as may be required by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehicle, of a substantially rectangular frame mounted xedly above the vehicle, and comprisingtransverse beams anda pair of inner runners and a pair of outer runners parallel to the length direction of the vehicle, one of said pairs of runners being ,longer than the other pair; at least one swing provided for eachrunner spaced longitudinally thereon to oscillate transversely of the Vehicle without interference, and said swings each consisting of a iioor board, rigid uprights and a cross brace between the upper ends of said uprights together forming a rigid structure, means for suspending the'swing from the corresponding runner anda sling carried on flexible tension members, therefore, hung from said cross brace, whereby a workman kneeling on said board may lean with his chest in said sling while swinging transversely of the vehicle to work on the ground.

2. In a device of the class described, the comb ination with a vehicle, of Aa substantially rectangular vframe mounted iixedly above the vehicle, and comprising transverse beams and a pair of inner runners and a pair of outer runners parallel to the length direction of the vehicle, one of said pairs of runners being longer than the other pair; at least one swing providedfor each runner spaced longitudinally thereon to oscillate transversely of the vehicle without interference, and said swings each consisting of a floor board, rigid uprights and a cross brace between the upper ends of said uprights together forming a rigid structure, means for suspending the swing from the corresponding runner and a sling carried on flexible tension members, therefore, hung from said cross brace, whereby a workman kneeling on said board may lean with his chest in said sling while swinging transversely of the vehicle to work on the ground; said suspending means consisting of a pair of chains at each end of said brace having'hookand eye connection with the runner.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehicle, of a substantially rectangular frame mounted xedly above the ve. hicle, and comprising transverse beams and a pair of inner runners and a pair of outer runners parallel to the length direction of the vehicle, one of said pairs of runners being longer than the other pair; at least one swing provided for each runner spaced longitudinally thereon to oscillate transversely of the vehicle without interference, and said swings each consisting of a floor board, rigid uprights and a cross brace between the upper ends of said uprights together forming a rigid structure, means for suspending thejswing from the corresponding runner and a siing carried on flexible tension'rnembers, there fore, hung from said cross brace, whereby a workman kneeling on said board may lean with his chest in said sling while swinging transversely of the vehicle to work on the ground; said suspending means consisting of a pair of chains at each end of said brace having bock `and eye connection with the runner; said'sling being positioned between said uprights substantially in the same vertical plane as said swing.

' JAMES P. JENSEN. 

